Hollyfall's Message
by kittyrocksminecraft
Summary: Hollyfall receives an ominous prophecy from her father in StarClan. Meanwhile, her apprentice loves a cat from a different Clan. Can things get any worse? Rated T just in case.
1. Allegiances

STORMCLAN

**Leader** Tidestar- light gray she-cat with darker flecks

**Deputy ** Nettlefur- gray tom with brilliant green eyes

**Medicine Cat** Maplefoot- deep brown she cat with white paws

apprentice, Peachpaw

**Warriors** Rivertail- dappled gray she-cat

Shrewleap- small brown tom

Stainpelt- white tom with big brown patches

apprentice, Stormpaw

Lemonshade- tabby and white she-cat with yellow eyes

Cloudnose- white tom

apprentice, Steelpaw

Cherryheart- russet she-cat with brown eyes

Ashenface- gray and white striped tom

Rockyfur- white tom with brown flecks and a brown tail

Splashberry- tiny black and silver tabby she-cat

Hollyfall- reddish-she cat with black paws

apprentice, Pinepaw

Rainflight- speckled gray tom

Nightwing- black tom with pale blue eyes

Foxtail- red tom

apprentice, Briarpaw

Muddyfoot- white she-cat with brown flecks and brown legs

Turtlenose- grayish-black tom with a spot near his nose

apprentice, Nettlepaw

**Apprentices ** Limepaw- long-furred gray tom with white markings

Nettlepaw- black tom

Pinepaw- brown and white she-cat with green eyes

Briarpaw- brown tom with amber eyes

Steelpaw- silvery gray tom

Stormpaw- darker gray tom

Peachpaw- pale cream she-cat with a white paw

**Queens ** Feathernose- silver tabby and white she-cat (mother to Stripekit: a tabby she-cat, and Spottedkit: a tortoiseshell she-cat)

Sunnypelt- dark cream with yellow eyes

Bumblestorm- dappled gray and white she-cat

**Elders **Patchyfoot- black and white tom

Shimmerfur- silvery she-cat with blue eyes

Retro- black she-cat

Polarnose- white tom with blue eyes

NIGHTCLAN

**Leader ** Mintstar- gray tabby tom

**Deputy ** Sloeberry- dark gray she-cat with black stripes

**Medicine Cat** Lionfire- golden tabby tom with green eyes

**Warriors ** Ivyfang- black she cat with fierce golden eyes

Mudstorm- dark brown tom

apprentice, Sagepaw- gray tabby tom

Oakwhisker- dappled brown tom

Stormfall- light gray tom with clear blue eyes

Sunfang- fierce golden and white tom

Willowfur- brown she-cat

Voletooth- brown tom


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 ₪

Hollyfall's green eyes sparkled as she gazed down at the cat she held captive in her paws. The small cat underneath her thrashed, its brown and white fur becoming littered with soil. Hollyfall reared up and was surprised as a heavy weight bore into her, bowling her over onto the dusty forest ground.

She glanced up to see Cloudnose looming over her, while his apprentice Steelpaw was wrestling with Pinepaw. "Good move," she commented.

Her body went limp, and Cloudnose let his weight drop onto Hollyfall, winding her. _Mouse-dung! He's learned the trick!_

She twisted, and then Cloudnose was flung off. He dashed over to battle Steelpaw, who had been thrown into the bushes and was running toward the white warrior.

Pinepaw was rushing toward Hollyfall. She waited for the smaller cat to come almost next to her. Once Pinepaw was nearly beside her, Hollyfall wheeled and sprang on the apprentice's back. "Got you!" she yowled.

The brown and white apprentice staggered under her attacker's weight, slowing down with each paw step.

Again, a bulk knocked her off. Pinepaw rushed over to Cloudnose, and began rapidly throwing strikes. Hollyfall's gaze turned on Steelpaw. Suddenly she rushed up and pinned Steelpaw down. Cloudnose had done the same with Pinepaw.

"So what have we learned?" mewed the white warrior.

"To be careful when rushing at your mentor." Pinepaw's prompt reply sounded from underneath Cloudnose.

"And to never trust Hollyfall," added Steelpaw, amusement glimmering in his eyes.

"I think I should gather my strength and pounce, or to roll over onto my attacker." Pinepaw had become serious, brainstorming new attacks. "And Steelpaw, you should let your weight go, like Cloudnose did. That way, they can't escape."

"Good job!" congratulated Hollyfall.

"Remember this," said Cloudnose. "We'll have another practice battle in three sunrises. I might get Turtlenose and Nettlepaw to join."

Hollyfall watched as the white warrior and Steelpaw trotted out of the dusty hollow, heading towards the lakeside to hunt. "Come on," she ordered Pinepaw. "We're going to hunt by the NightClan border."

The pretty russet and black warrior led her apprentice out of the training hollow, towards where NightClan had their camp over the rockpile that marked the border. Mice, shrews, voles, and sometimes squirrels hid in the crack between two flat rocks on the StormClan side. It was always a place of good hunting, especially in leaf-bare.

Once they were there, Hollyfall turned to Pinepaw. "What do you smell?" she asked.

Pinepaw opened her jaws, drinking in the air. "Mouse, shrew, and… squirrel! And there's something else… I haven't smelled it before, but it reeks!"

Hollyfall's heart lurched as the scent reached her. That was the stench of NightClan! She turned and looked at the top of the pile to see two brown toms, a she-cat, and a small gray tabby tom. She recognized the small gray tabby as Sagepaw, and she had seen the bigger tom before.

"What are you doing here?" growled the first tom. He was darker than the other brown cats, and strong by the looks of him. Hollyfall remembered him as Mudstorm.

"Hunting," answered Pinepaw coolly. "The warrior code doesn't prevent hunting on your own territory, does it? In fact, I think it encourages it."

The gray tabby apprentice hissed, but he had the slightest hint of love in his eyes. _What? You can't love my apprentice! _But Hollyfall realized it was Pinepaw's call. If the brown and white apprentice decided to go off with Sagepaw, it was her doing.

Her apprentice ignored him, instead turning to the big dark brown tom. "Mudstorm, what are you doing on our territory? We have NightClan proof right here." She climbed up the rocks and pointed to an unscented patch of grass with her paw.

Mudstorm stepped over the border and sniffed the grass. "There's no NightClan scent on your territory!"

"Well now there is." Hollyfall jumped on the tom, even though she and Pinepaw were hopelessly outnumbered. She dug her claws into his shoulders to hang on, while her apprentice clamped down on his tail. The other brown tom jumped on the brown and white she-cat, and Hollyfall watched Pinepaw reach up and bite the brown cat's chest.

Mudstorm was crumpling to the ground. Hollyfall loosened her grip and watched him go tearing into the pine forest. The she-cat and the tom followed, while Sagepaw shared a glance with Pinepaw before following.

After they collected two voles and three mice, the two she-cats trotted into camp. Pinepaw had insisted on hunting, even though she had scratches on her back and a bite on her shoulder. Hollyfall had a torn claw and a long scratch on her flank.

In camp, Maplefoot and Peachpaw came rushing out of their den to the scent of blood. "What happened?" squeaked Peachpaw.

"NightClan attack, but we won! There were four of them, and…" Pinepaw began telling the story as Peachpaw led her into the medicine den.

"Come on, Hollyfall," purred Maplefoot. "I've always known you to get into trouble."

As the russet warrior walked into the medicine den, the sound of Pinepaw's boasting reached her ears. "…and I jumped up and bit him in the chest! He ran yowling back to his camp, and so did that big one Hollyfall was fighting! I think they are afraid of me."

"Keep still, or the flesh-eating mice will come for you," growled Peachpaw good-humoredly. "I caught one a quarter moon ago. I won't hesitate to go collect it and let it loose in here."

Pinepaw purred. "I'll raid your herbs!"

"Oh no, you won't raid anything." Maplefoot was getting some marigold and cobwebs from the little rock shelves in the cave. She returned with the herbs and a ball of soaked moss. "Peachpaw did you use-" The medicine cat caught sight of a few moss balls lying beside Peachpaw. "Good job!"

As Maplefoot began tending to her wounds, Hollyfall sank into a deep sleep. She found herself among StarClan, with her father standing in front of her! His russet pelt quivered as he gazed at his daughter.

"Russetnose! It's been so long!" Hollyfall's father had died battling NightClan; killed by the very warrior she had fought today, Mudstorm.

She twined her tail with her father's, purring loudly.

"Now is not the time for reunions. We will meet in StarClan one day; right now I have an omen for you."

An image of a forest came into her view. In it was the silhouette of two cats—Sagepaw and Pinepaw!

"A time of great darkness will come to the forest; with it two cats will be forgotten." Hollyfall froze at her father's ominous words. Surely that didn't mean Pinepaw and Sagepaw would be killed? The warrior did not want her apprentice to be caught up in this great darkness, whatever the cost.

"My mother…" Poolflight had received a similar omen before she disappeared from the Clans. Hollyfall speculated she was stranded in the tunnels that her ancient namesake, Hollyleaf, had been trapped in for so many seasons.

"No. Poolflight has nothing to do with this. Her omen was nearly the same, but not the same." Russetnose's firm voice assured her. _Not at all, not at all… _The russet tom began fading from sight, his words seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

"No! Don't go!" Hollyfall drank in his scent for the millionth time before he left and she returned to wakefulness.

Maplefoot was leaning over her. "Does she need some thyme?"

"No," answered Peachpaw. "She's waking up, see?" To Hollyfall, she added, "You were twitching and murmuring in your sleep. Is there something wrong?"

Hollyfall eyed Pinepaw. "Is she sleeping?"

"Yes." Maplefoot's fur bushed up. "What happened? Did you dream?"

The russet and black warrior nodded. "Russetnose gave me an omen. He said, 'A time of great darkness will come to the forest; with it two cats will be forgotten.'"

"Wow… what does it mean?" Peachpaw looked confused, even though hers and Maplefoot's connections with StarClan were stronger than Hollyfall's.

"I don't know, but to me it sounded…"

"Like Poolflight's?" Maplefoot asked gently. Poolflight had told only Maplefoot and Russetnose about the strange omen.

"Well, you're fit to go. Tell Tidestar you can resume light work, but no more fighting for you or Pinepaw." Maplefoot cheerfully changed the subject as she turned to gaze at Pinepaw. The young apprentice was waking up.

"What about me?" she mewed. "Can I hunt?"

Peachpaw nodded. "Yes, but no fighting. Come to Maplefoot or me before doing battle training or hunting practice, though. You may need more herbs."

"Hold on, Pinepaw and I have battle training in three days. Should we still come here?" Hollyfall stretched, her long fluffy tail brushing the dust. She knew it was mouse-brained to ask, but the scratches and bites should be healed by then.

"No. See me the day before, though," replied Maplefoot. She swept her tail around to the exit. "Well, off you go."

As Hollyfall stepped through the bracken arc, she glimpsed a flecked gray pelt pad up to her. Rainflight. "Tidestar and Nettlefur want to see you in the leader's den. They said something about a battle." He gazed at her as he spoke, silently willing her to say something. When she didn't, he dashed off towards the bramble exit tunnel.

Hollyfall sighed.


End file.
